When the Irish Daily Mail launched its ‘Protect Our Kids Online’ campaign in early 2017, the issue was not on the national agenda. Today, child protection online is the biggest topic of concern for most parents - and a constant national talking point.

Our campaign has been highlighted across broadcast media, from the Late Late Show, Prime Time, The Show and TV3’s Tonight programme to , The Show, Today with Sean O’Rourke, The Last Word and Drivetime.

This newspaper has run more than 200 separate articles by an array of writers, from news stories and analysis pieces to features and opinion columns. We have commissioned opinion polls and run a petition for readers signed by more than 1,500 people. As well as raising awareness, in the past year we have seen significant policy shifts at a political level:

 Education Minister Richard Bruton has required all schools to devise a policy on smartphones, including an assessment of the harm they may cause  Fianna Fáil has backed a total ban on smartphones in all schools up to Junior Certificate, through legislation if necessary  A Bill calling for a total school ban on smartphones has been brought before the Oireachtas  The Government’s controversial policy of lowering the Digital Age of Consent to 13 was defeated in Dáil Eireann: instead the age was set to 16 in line with Germany, Holland and the majority of EU Member States  Blennerville National School in Co. Kerry has agreed with parents that no pupil of any age will be allowed a smartphone - at school or home. Other schools nationwide are hoping to follow suit  The Tánaiste, the Health Minister and numerous other TDs and Ministers have publicly accepted the need for some restrictions on smartphone access  The Opposition have united to demand the appointment of a Digital Safety Commissioner following the Channel 4 Dispatches programme, which highlighted (among other concerns) a series of issues relating to child protection online

The Irish Daily Mail’s work has been widely praised by legislators, teachers, the Special Rapporteur for Children and many others. As said on RTE Radio 1 on May 17th: ‘This is quality campaigning journalism… they wouldn’t let it go: even when most stories like this would tend to drift, they stayed with it… it’s a win for proper, crusading campaigning journalism.’

It is impossible to encompass in three articles the breadth of the body of work involved, or the scale of its impact. Equally, it is too soon to say exactly how policy in this area will ultimately evolve. But we would submit that by forcing this issue onto the national agenda, by challenging vested interests, by questioning received wisdom and by holding ministers to account publicly, the ‘Protect Our Kids Online’ campaign is a prime example of campaigning journalism in the greatest traditions of our industry.

Sebastian Hamilton

Editor, The Irish Daily Mail